Japan Protests Arrest of Journalist on Espionage Suspicion in Russia
Japan summoned Russian Ambassador Nikolay Nozdrev on Wednesday to protest the detention of a Hokkaido Shimbun journalist on espionage allegations. Russia’s FSB identified the man as Yuki Imai and accused him of collecting information about Russian defense capabilities for Japanese intelligence near Sakhalin. The newspaper has not confirmed his identity but said the detained reporter was working in Russia on a journalist visa and had been due to leave on Monday.
Russian state television showed a man being handcuffed by masked officers, escorted onto a plane and later held in a cage in a Moscow courtroom, where he was ordered detained for two months. Tokyo said Russia had issued unilateral accusations without explaining the case, and that Japanese officials had been unable to contact the detainee or determine his condition. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara called for fair and humane treatment and consular access. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova alleged that Japan uses accredited journalists to obtain sensitive security information.
The case adds to tensions over the four southernmost Kuril Islands, controlled by Moscow but claimed by Tokyo as its “Northern Territory.” The Soviet Union seized the islands in the final days of World War II, and the unresolved dispute has prevented a formal peace treaty. Relations have worsened since Japan joined sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine, while Russia has expanded military facilities, missile deployments and exercises on the islands.
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